A large ZIF socket (socket A)

ZIF is an acronym for zero insertion force. A normal integrated circuit (IC) socket requires the IC to be pushed into sprung contacts which then grip by friction. For an IC with hundreds of pins, the total insertion force can be very large (tens of newtons), leading to a danger of damage to the device. Also even with relatively small pin counts each extraction was fairly awkward and carried a significant risk of bending pins (particularly if the person performing the extraction hadn't had much practice). Download high resolution version (745x648, 108 KB)Socket 462, otherwise known as Socket A. Created by Stewart Adcock, 11th October 2004. ... Download high resolution version (745x648, 108 KB)Socket 462, otherwise known as Socket A. Created by Stewart Adcock, 11th October 2004. ... Socket A (also known as Socket 462) is the CPU socket used for AMD flagship processors ranging from the Athlon K7 to the Athlon XP 3200+, and AMD budget processors including the Duron and Sempron. ... SEM image of an integrated circuit showing defects in the aluminium layer deposition (shown in cyan). ... Friction is the force that opposes the relative motion or tendency of such motion of two surfaces in contact. ... In physics, the newton (symbol: N) is the SI unit of force, named after Sir Isaac Newton in recognition of his work on classical mechanics. ...

Low insertion force (LIF) sockets improved this to some degree but the lower the insertion force of a conventional socket the less reliable the connection is likely to be. To avoid this problem, the ZIF socket was invented. Before the IC is inserted, a lever or slider on the side of the socket is moved, pushing all the sprung contacts apart so that the IC can be inserted with very little force (generally the weight of the IC itself is sufficient with no external downward force required). The lever is then moved back, allowing the contacts to close and grip the pins of the IC. ZIF sockets are much more expensive than standard IC sockets and also tend to take up a larger board area. Therefore they are only used when there is a good reason to do so. Low Insertion Force (LIF) is a type of socket often used for PGA or SPGA integrated circuits (ICs). ...

Large ZIF sockets are mainly used for PC processors (from about the mid 1990s forward) as these are likely to be upgraded or replaced several times during the lifetime of the socket. and are among the few chips expensive enough to make such elaborate package/socket systems worthwhile (most chips nowadays are simply soldered direct to the surface of the pcb). Smaller ZIF socket are often used in chip-testing and programming equipment, when the same socket will be used to test or program hundreds of chips. Personal computer and peripherals. ... Processor can mean: A central processing unit of a computer. ... Surface-mount components on a keydrives circuit board Surface mount technology (SMT) is a method for constructing electronic circuits in which the components are mounted directly onto the surface of printed circuit boards (PCBs). ... Computer programming (often simply programming) is the craft of implementing one or more interrelated abstract algorithms using a particular programming language to produce a concrete computer program. ...

Universal test sockets

Standard DIL packages come in two widths (measured between pin centers). 0.3in (skinny dip) for smaller devices (8-28 pin) and 0.6in for larger devices (24-40 pin). To allow design of programmers and similar devices that supported a range of devices some in skinny dip and some in full width dip universal test sockets are produced. These have wide slots into which the pins drop allowing both 0.3in and 0.6in devices to be inserted.

ZIF wire-to-board connectors

ZIF wire-to-board connectors are used for attaching wires to printed circuit boards inside electronic equipment. The wires, often formed into a ribbon cable, are pre-stripped and the bare ends placed inside the connector. The two sliding parts of the connector are then pushed together, causing it to grip the wires. The most important advantage of this system is that it does not require a mating half to be fitted to the wire ends, therefore saving space and cost inside miniaturised equipment. Close-up photo of one side of a motherboard PCB, showing conductive traces, vias and solder points for through-hole components on the opposite side. ... The field of electronics is the study and use of systems that operate by controlling the flow of electrons or other electrically charged particles in devices such as thermionic valves and semiconductors. ... Left: 20-way grey ribbon cable with wire no. ...